Spring package



G. J. cHRlsTENsoN 2,652,244

Sepr. 15, 1953 SPRING PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 6, 1949 Sept. 15, 1953 G. J. cHRlsTENsoN 2,652,244

SPRING PACKAGE Filed Aug. 6, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 15, 1953 SPRING PACKAGE Gust J. Christenson, Park Standard Car Truck Co Ridge, Ill., assignor to mpany, Chicago, Ill., a

corporation of New Jersey Application August 6, 1949, Serial No. 108,874

7 Claims.

a car bolster and associated side frames and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims,

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a simple, elicient, low cost spring package for controlling the harmonic action of railroad car springs so harmful to lading and equipment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a package of this kind in the form of a unitary assembly for substitution for the cushioning means employed in cars already in service or for use in new cars as they are being built.

A further object of the invention is to provide a package of this kind, which is of the varia-ble friction type, and wherein the amount or magnitude of the friction applied is in direct ratio to the load and to the shocks applied to the car by reason of the irregularities in the rails over which the car travels.

The above mentioned objects of the invention, as well as others, along with the advantages thereof, will more tion proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of the side frame of a railway truck, showing the improved spring package in place in the bolster opening thereof, between the associated bolster end and the bottom arch bar of the side frame.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view scale enlarged over the line 2-2 of through the package, on a that of Fig. l, and as taken on Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is another transverse vertical sectional view through the package, on the scale of Fig. 2 and as taken on the line 3--3 thereof.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view through thepaekage on the scale of and as taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a certain wedge member embodied in the improved package and which will be more fully referred to later.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a pair of friction shoes embodied in the improved package and which will be more fully referred to later.

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view through one end of a shoe retaining member and associated spring end abutment member embodied in the improved package.

Fig. 8 is a view in end elevation of the members appearing in Fig. 7.

, The` Vimproved spring package is a unitary asfully appear as the speciflca- 2 sembly for use in the bolster opening of a railway car truck side frame and its purpose is to yieldingly support the bottom arch bar of said frame, in a manner end under the changing action of load in the travel of the car. In general, the package includes upper and lower plates for enof the plates. Also between mechanism for controlling the said plates is a flexing action of through the bolster.

Referring now to that vention illustrated in the drawings, the improved matched ones. face of each bosses IB, each of which has a faces Ilia constituting arcs of pair of curved surthe same radius as the corners of the plates l0 and Il respectively.

Extending transversely of the upper face of the the direction of the row of openings i4 therein and which said plate covers. The wear plate is provided along each side with an upstanding longitudinal flange lla and said plate (including the flanges II) is of such width as to fit within the space between the pair of bosses l of the plate, as best appears in Fig. 4.

-26 indicates 'a pair of oppositely disposed, counterpart friction shoes forming part of the package and these shoes best appear in Fig. 6. Each shoe includes a fiat and somewhat elongated base 2l and toward one end thereof is an upstanding body 22 having a width that ap'- proximates twice the width of the'base.4 Thus, one-half of the body projects laterally from' one' side of the base, a distance approximating the width of the base. One face23 of the body is nat and is disposed perpendicular to the base and the upper half 24 of the other face of said body is angled off to extend downwardly and out wardly from the top, toward the other end of the base. The upper half 24 of said other faceV is of a convexed formation, one-half of each face extending at a lateral obtuse angle from the cen'- ter line thereof. a spring end receiving opening 25 and concentric therewith is a passageway 2E of smaller diameter that opens through the upper half 24 of the other face about midway between its top and bottom ends. Each passageway positely arranged recesses 21-2'i of a' width less than the diameter of the associated passageway 26. The base of each shoe is of such width that when placed side by side, they will t between the two side flanges lla 'of the wear plate ll so as to be guided in a relative straight line movement thereby.

In positioning the shoes in operative relation upon said wear plate, those facesy thereof including the upper halves 24 are arranged to face each other and at this time the bases are disposed between the side fianges of the wear plate and one-half of the body of each shoe then overhangs the base of the other shoe. At this time the bottom faces of the bases of said shoes, which are flat, have a rubbing frictional engagement with the upper face of the wear plate, between the nanges lia thereof.

Associated with the upper plate iii is a wedge member 39 of substantially inverted triangular shape with its base 3l engaged with the under face of the top plate. The base of said wedge member is provided with a row of upstanding lugs 32 so spaced apart as to be engaged. in the openings i3 of the top plate. This preventsl shifting of the wedge member. Opposite sides 33 of the wedge are inclined downwardly and inwardly toward each 'other and are angularly complemental to the opposed face portions 24 of the shoes and with which they are constantly engaged. The faces of the sides 23 of the wedge are concaved cross sections to match the convexed cross sections of the shoe faces 24. With this arrangement of faces, they are enlarged inarea without enlarging the width of the wedge or the shoe body and, 'at the same time, these faces hold the shoes and the wedge against lateral relative shifting.

The opposite sides of the wedge are connected together at a point below the base by a strut 35 and below said strut said sides have vertically disposed slots 36, which when the wedge is operatively disposed relatively to the shoes 2li, line up with the passageways 26 and recess extensions thereof. Y

In the face 23 of the body is 26 includes opi A bolt-like member extends through th wedge slots 36 and passageways 26 in the shoes and has T-shaped end heads 4l thereon, produced by attening the ends thereof and on each end of this member is a cup-like spring end receiving washer 42. Each washer has an opening 43 therein which matches the passageways 26 and recesses 2'! in the shoe bodies 22. A` helical spring 44 surrounds each end portion of the member 40 and each spring abuts at one end with a washer 42 and engages at its other end within a recess 25 in the associated shoe. The springs 44 normally act to yieldingly push or move theY shoes toward each other. In the assembly package, the' T-shaped heads of the member 40, stand crosswise of the openings 43 in the washers 42.

In Fig. 1 the improved package is shown in its operative position within the bolster opening 45 in the side frame 4B of a car truck. In this position, the package is disposed in the plane of the columns 41 of the side frameY and the associated bolster end 4S is engaged upon the top plate l0 and the bottom plate l l is engaged upon the bot-v tom arch bar 49 of the side frame.

Assuming that the parts of the package, when it is disposed in the bolster opening, are inthe position appearing in full lines in Fig. 2'. At this time the load supporting springs are normal and not in compression, and the springsl 44: thoughnot in compression, are acting to urge the shoes 20-20 toward each other so that the angular surfaces 24 thereof are engaged with the angularsurfaces on the sides 33 of the wedge 30. By reason of the angularity of said surfaces, the in'- ward pressure of the springs also functions to urge the shoes downwardly so that the bottom surfaces of bases 2l of the shoes 20 have a good flat even'Y frictional engagement with the top' surface of the wear plate l'.

In the travel of the associated car, the bolster end 4B moves downwardly' under load in'. the bolster opening. As said bolster' end rests upon the top plate l0 of the package, the loadv imposed upon the top plate causes the plate to 'compressV the load bearing springs l5 as said top` plate moves toward the bottom plate Il.

In the downward movement of said top plate the wedge member 30 moves downwardly therewith and will push the shoes 2li-20 relativelyv outwardly against the action of the springs 44. By reason of said springs, in connection with the action of the angled faces of the wedge and the bodies of the shoes, the bases of the shoes are pressed into a good hrm frictional engagement with the coacting top surface of the wear plate. The relative position of the parts 'when the load bearing springs are in compression appears' indotted lines in Fig. 2.

Thus, the aow-aware movement ef the top siate in the compression of the load bearing springsis resisted not only by the frictiohal rsistances of the bases of the shoes upon the 'wear plate but also by the frictional resistance offered by the engagement of the angular surfaces of 'the shoe bodies and the wedge respectively, and the resistance of the springs against compression;

Upon release of load, the load bearing springs will tend to expand and ihove the top' plate lipwardly toward its normal position; the to' plate moves upwardly, the wedge at moves with it, and at this time the springs 44 being releasei` from load, expand and force the bodies 'of 'the shoes 2li-20 toward each other. At this tie,- because of the angularty of the engagedsurlfaees the wear plate and the relative sliding between said angled surfaces of the wedge and shoe bodies is opposed by said springs to increase the frictional engagement therebetween. Thus, a

under load By reason of the engaged angular, concavoconvexed surfaces of the shoe bodies 22 and the a guided straight line movement. By reason of the structure described, the same will function equally as Well in a .position reversed words, the package acts to snub spring action in both directions.

While in describing the invention I have rein the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:`

1. A spring package of the kind described and embodying therein upper and lower plate members, resilient cushioning members between said members, a horizontal wear plate carried by one of said mem ers, shoes, each having an elonwith said horisurface portion, said shoes also having surface for frictonal engagement zontal with said 4. A spring package movement of said shoes in said one direction and which resilient means includes a rod-like element passing" through said perpendicular portions of said shoes. and springs supported on said element and engaged with said portions of said shoes, said resilient meansoperating in the movement of said plate members away from each other upon release of load upon said cushioning means for moving said shoes relatively in the other direction upon and with their bases in frictional engagement with said surface portion.

. '5.. A spring package of the kind described and embodying therein upper and lower plate members, resilient cushioning` means between said members, a horizontal surface portion on one of said members, shoes, each having an elongated horizontal base for frictional engagement with said horizontal surface portion andI a portion perpendicular to said base, with a part of said portion. of each shoe overhanging the base of the othershoe, means carried by the otherl of said members and providing oppositely angled surfaces for frictional engagement with complemental surfaces on said perpendicular portions of! said'. shoes and operative in the movement of saidV members toward each other, in the compression of said cushioning means under load, for moving said shoes relatively in one direction upon and. with their bases in frictional` engagement with said surface. portion, and resilient means opposing. thev movement of said shoes in said one direction and which resilient means includes a rod-like element passing through said perpendi'cular portions or said shoes and springs sup ported on said element and engaged with said shoes, said resilient means operating in the movementl of said plate members away from each other upon release of load upon said cushioning means,

for moving said shoes relatively in the other direction upon and with their bases in rictional engagement with said surface portion, sai-d means carried by said other of said plates having a slotlike opening therein for the passagel therethrough of.' said rod-like element.

6. A spring package of the -lnnd described and embodying therein upper and lower plate members, resilient cushioning means 'between said members, a horizontal surface portion on one of said members, shoes, each having a horizontal base. and a perpendicular part, with the bases of said? shoes arranged side by side and upon and in frictional engagement upon said horizontalsurface portion, the perpendicular parts of said shoes, each overhanging the base ci the other shoe, sai-dshoes having oppositely facing angular surfaces, means carried by the other of said plate members and providing oppositely angled surfaces complemental to and having frictional engagement with said angular faces of the shoes andoperative inthe movement of said members toward each other in the compressionof said cushioning means under load, for moving said shoes relatively in one direction upon their bases in frictional en gagement with said surface portion, and resilient means opposing the movement of saidrshoes in said one direction and operating in the movement of saidplate members away from each other, upon release of load upon said cushioning means, forY moving said shoes relatively in the other direction upon and in frictional engagement with said horizontal surface portion.

7. A spring package of the kind described and embodying therein upper and lower generally rectangular plate members having four corners, cushioning springs disposed between the opposed four corners of said plate members, a horizontal surface portion on one of said plate members between said cushioning springs', a pair of shoes f betweenV said springs` and each having an elongated base with a horizontal surface for frictional engagement with said surface portion and an opstanding portion which overhangs the base of the other shoe, means carried by the other of said plate members between said springs and providing. oppositely angled surfaces for frictional engagement with complemental surfaces on the upstanding portion of said shoes and: operative in the movement of said members towardleach other in the compression of said cushioningsprings under load for moving said shoes relatively in one direction upon and in frictional engagement with said horizontal surface portion, and resilient meansl opposing the movement of said shoes in said direction, said resilient means operating in the movement of said plate members away from each other upon release of load upon said springs for moving said shoes relatively in the other direction upon and in frictional engagement with said surface portion.

GUST J. CHRISTENSON.

"'Refrences cited in the nie or this patent UNITED sfr-Ares PATENTS Number Name Date 730,688 OtisY v.- June, 9, 1903 1,932,811 Barrows Oct. 3.1, 1933 2,130,674: Oelkers et al Sept. 20, 1938 2,190,996 Pierce ,Feb. 20, 1940 2,198,261 Barrows, et al 1 Apr. 23,1940 2,278,012 M'aatman Mar. 31,v 1942 2,404,475 Davidsonv July 23, 1946 2,444,337 Cottrell June 29,1948 2,481,030 Link Sept. 6, 1949 2,481,575` Dath Sept. 13, 1949 

